A few days later in Gem's apartment...
"Okay, I'm going to take a shower. The bathroom will be occupied now and I don't know for how long. I feel exhausted after today".
Fourth looked at Gem for some reaction, but he was too busy to pay attention to him. He sighed heavily. It had been a long day, and all he really needed now was to find some way to relax. It was the first time he had been in a boy's apartment, just with him, and he was going to live here for some time. He found it quite funny, and the young artist turned out to be an interesting puzzle that Nattawat wanted to solve. The two of them had spent the previous few days alternately at Pond's, Joong's and Gem's, to confuse any pursuit, and there was always someone accompanying them. This time there were only the two of them in the entire apartment.
"Okkkk, I understood. I'll wait here".
Gemini busied himself with carefully reading the script for the next day's performance. He didn't have much time to study, but luckily P'Erin said they could improvise. Her words were still ringing in his ears:
"You need to spend as much time together as possible. You'll be working together, I don't want there to be any awkwardness between you. Gem, I heard you have an apartment nearby. It would be good if Fourth could live with you for, let's say, a week. And no, you can't say no. Remember that your career is hanging in the balance, do everything you can to save it".
Tsaaa... If only it were that easy...
Meanwhile, Fourth had already planned their evening together. He sent a short message to Gun.
Fourth: hey little brother, I have a question for you: I need the title of the best BL series in your opinion, what do you recommend? Something you can watch together.
Gun: why do you need this?
Fourth: come on, it's important
Gun: a date? I don't believe! My loser twin was asked out on a date by someone?! You've never dated anyone before!
Fourth was furious that his twin brother had pointed this out to him. He was ashamed of it and wasn't going to tell anyone, especially Gem, that he had no experience. Father Mile could largely be to blame for this. Since he kicked Gun out of the house (Fourth never found out why), he focused even more on trying to train the other twin to take over the family business. Fourth, although the youngest of three siblings, was also the least interested in this type of business.
Fourth: This is NOT a date 🤬. I just want to watch something. I need this for work.
Gun: who was nice enough to go out with you? Write me her name, I'd love to meet her 👀
Fourth: her? You mean who?
Gun: well, your girlfriend. Don't lie, I know it's not about work. Let me think... It's not any girl, it's the boy you ran away with a few days ago...
Fourth: What...? How do you know?
Gun: I was watching you. Do you really think I would just let you disappear?
Fourth: I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run away from home, right?
Gun: Are you kidding me?! It's the best decision you could have made. I'm glad you finally stood up to your fathers. Remember that you are not like that, you are not a mafioso, dear brother. I say, or rather write this with great relief: your heart is too soft for that. And that's good, because we don't need any more scoundrels. You know what the world needs most right now? Someone who will give them new hope. Someone who will make them believe in the beauty of their dreams. Someone who will make them laugh and who will make them smile just thinking about that person. And you can be that person for them.
Fourth had heard similar sentences from Gun many times, usually when Gun had taken something. His twin didn't consider himself a drug addict, but Fourth was afraid it would one day completely destroy him. Gun was always in a strangely philosophical mood and could speak really beautifully and seriously. Fourth felt like throwing his phone against the wall.
Fourth: Are you doing drugs again? Gun, I'm begging you, don't do this, I only have you, I can't afford to lose you...
Gun: You also have First. Remember that he is on your side too. And... I didn't take anything, I just have a lot of time to think. This world currently sucks, wars, corruption and all that, but it doesn't change the fact that you now have a chance for a new, happy future. Do you know why I let that boy take you with him and why I misdirected the people sent by our fathers?
Fourth: no, I guess not. And why did you do it?
Gun: Because it's the best thing that could have happened to you. I'll tell you what to do: send your artist friend to buy some snacks, I'll buy you some good wine (it's better if he doesn't see me), search the Internet for a series called "Bad Buddy" with Ohm and Nanon and suggest so you can watch it together. Take your chance. You can accidentally touch him from time to time, if he doesn't move away you can continue. Try to get closer to him, but don't try to take advantage of him and don't let him take advantage of you. Flirt with him, but also show your boundaries clearly
Fourth: That's not the advice I wanted to get when I wrote to you, I just wanted the title of a good BL series...
Gun: oh my naive little brother! Don't know what your handsome guy's opinion is in the community? Use it. I'm not saying you should marry him right away and commit yourself to him for life, but it would be good to stick with him for a while, it's probably the safest option. I'll take care of talk with Mile and Apo, you don't need to worry, I'll figure something out
At that moment, Gemini, impatient with the prolonged waiting for Fourth to leave the bathroom, approached the door and started knocking on it.
"Fourth, what the hell are you doing there? Finish it, I want to take a shower too!"
"Uh-huh! Give me another fifteen minutes, I'll be done soon".
"You've been sitting in that bathroom for such a long time, I think I'd rather not know what you're doing there".
Gem just shrugged and returned to his place on the bed. But something didn't feel right to him. He felt again as if someone was in the room with him, watching him. He looked around him.
The laptop was still closed on the desk. The phone was still charging on the nightstand. But something has clearly changed. Gem frowned, trying to make out the difference. The script was still on the bed where Gem had left it. No, that's not it. Maybe someone moved the books on the shelf? Yes, one of them magically changed its place and was no longer standing among the others, but was lying on the floor next to it. Gem bent down and picked it up. He read the title. "The Book Thief." It looked more like someone, maybe Fourth himself, had accidentally knocked it off the shelf. Norawit put it back in an empty space.
Suddenly he looked in the mirror and froze.
He didn't see a human or anything like that, but on his own face he had the words "Heart" written on his forehead in blood-red lipstick and two slightly crooked hearts painted on both cheeks. He didn't remember touching the lipstick at all, and he didn't remember anyone else applying makeup to him. , and yet when he rubbed his hand across his forehead, a red mark remained on his skin. Some movement to his right caught his attention, and he looked there.
Heart waved at him and looked at the terrified Gemini with amusement. Even though Heart was standing right next to him, only one reflection was visible in the mirror, that of Norawit.
"W-Who are you?" - Gem's voice was shaking, as were his hands. He wanted to run away, but something, like an invisible force, held him in place.
"My name is Heart, if that's what you mean. As you may or may not have guessed, I am a ghost. And I was the one who sent you the photos".
He was direct and said what he thought. His voice was a bit rough, like rusty metal, as if he hadn't used it in a long time. He had to cough.
"Y-you?!"
"Of course, who else did you expect?"
"Huh?! That... I-It's impossible, r-right?"
"Technically... Of course, I don't have a body, so I couldn't do it myself, so I used your brother and your boyfriend".
"I DON'T HAVE ANY BOYFRIEND!!!" - Gemini shouted at the top of his lungs. - "Why does everyone, even the ghosts, insist that Fourth is my boyfriend?!"
"I don't know, probably because he will be your boyfriend in the future?" - Ghost named Heart shrugged, making a funny face. Gem began to wonder how to force the intangible entity to leave its home. He didn't know that Heart could hear his thoughts if he concentrated hard enough.
"Are you already kicking me out? We just met! Come on, don't be like that! You don't have a shred of empathy for me? I'm a ghost, which means I'm dead. Look how young I am, no one should die that young, don't you feel sorry for me?"
It was a bull's-eye. Gemini bit his lip. He had no answer to that.
The strange noises and the sound of Gemini's voice alarmed Fourth so much that he hurriedly got out of the shower without even getting dressed. He just wrapped a towel around his waist, ready to rush to his new friend's rescue. He clearly heard what Gem shouted.
"We'll see, we'll find out. I give you a month and you will be mine. You're trying so hard to point out that I'm not your boyfriend, does that mean you're already starting to like me? Okay, I'll help you like me even more!" - Fourth thought and entered the room with a mischievous smile on his face.
His sly smile froze when he saw that next to Gem, in front of the mirror, was standing a boy who looked almost identical to him, only blurry and pale.
"Oh, hello, handsome. I know you can see me", - Heart laughed happily.
Heart had an unusual sense of humor for a ghost. As Fourth stood there speechless, he walked up to him and with the power of his magic removed the white towel from him. Gem's eyes saw an unusual sight that he certainly didn't expect.
💖👀💖👀💖👀💖💖👀💖👀💖
So...
How is this chapter?
👀
I want to know
Have a wonderful day 💖
~Annie